MEDWAY - John Parrella and his son Brian restored this 1970 Chevy Malibu 14 years ago as a father/son project. Together, they took more than two years to turn this plain Malibu into a restored musclecar. The car and the story behind it are profiled here in this edition of "My Ride, My Story."

(John) I was very fortunate to find this vehicle for sale at the end of the street. The individual had just driven cross-country from California. The car had only 52,000 original miles. This was in 1990.

You bought this car with a specific purpose. What was it?

(John) My son Brian, the youngest of my three beautiful children – John, Christine & Brian – liked being with me when I was restoring cars. At the time, I was restoring a 1969 Chevelle SS 396. Brian was 14 years old. He was hoping to have that car when he got his license. So I decided to find a vehicle for a father/son project providing he would get odd jobs to help pay for parts – teaching him the value of his hard work and results a person gets from completion of a project. I also thought when he got his license, he would appreciate what he accomplished and take pride in his Chevelle.

How long did the restoration take?

(John) It took 2 1/2 years to complete. I would not work on the car unless Brian was with me. We also had some great help from my son-in-law Christopher O'Rourke.

Brian, what do remember learning about cars while doing this project?

One thing it has taught me is patience. If you want a good outcome you have to take your time and don't rush. Another, it is easy to take things apart but to put them back together is a whole different story! I recommend for the novice car restorer to find a car that needs minimal body work because that can take a good part of your time and money.

When the project was finished, what was the first drive?

(John) I believe one of his first drives was to a local car show. He entered the Chevelle and took 1st place in that class.

The Malibu and Chevelle are easily recognized classic muscle cars and still get lots of stares now. Why do you think the car's popularity has been sustained?

(John) From the mid-1960s to early 1970s the Chevelle, like the Pontiac GTO and other muscle cars of that era, was a dream for young auto enthusiasts to own and drive. As time went on, these cars became very desirable classic cars in which the value keeps going up.

Page 2 of 3 - Does your son still drive the car now?

Brian drove the car through high school, college and on special occasions until 2004. He then concentrated on his career, met and married a young lady from Ireland, whom my wife, Nancy, and I love. Traveling to visit family in Ireland, Brian fell in love with the country and people. He and his wife, Aiofe, decided to move there 2 years ago. Fortunately, he got a job in his field of radiology. He has mentioned to me that he may want to have his Chevelle shipped to Ireland. I'll miss it being in the garage!

What kind of reception would this car get overseas?

(Brian) There is a contingency of American car enthusiasts here in Ireland. A former neighbor of mine has a 1977 Corvette and is a member of an American Car Club which has its own Facebook page. There are also car shows as well as cruise nights. A vintage car (over 30 years old) is inexpensive to register and the motor tax is very low. However, to ship a classic car from United States to Ireland would be expensive due to the (import) tax you would have to pay on it. People are circumventing this problem by getting the cars through the UK. For whatever reason there are tax loopholes.

John, what was your first car and what do you remember most about it? Did it get you started on being interested in cars?

At the age of 14, I purchased a 1948 Plymouth that I drove around the family farm until I blew a piston. That's when I started to learn about mechanics. My father told me if I wanted to drive it, learn to fix it. When I got my license, my first car was a 1951 Ford and that's when I started to learn about body work by what we called customizing; fenders, headlights, taillights, etc.

How has your company kept you in the car game?

The family business that my father started in 1952 was the repair and manufacturing of bowling balls. It started as a mom and pop operation. In the 1960s, I with two of my brothers, Robert and Richard, took over the business and grew it at one time to 40 employees. We manufactured billiard balls, bocce balls and commercial/industrial balls used in many industries such as computer track balls, navigational and medical devices, massage balls, etc. Approximately 25 years ago, while restoring a car, I noticed that the shift knob was covered with stress cracks from aging. This gave me the idea of manufacturing a quality shift knob that would never develop cracking. The rest is history. Acquiring the licenses from GM and Ford Motor Company for the use of their trademarks, I developed a process of embedding their logos below the surface of the knob. I believe today EPCO is the largest manufacturer in the U.S. of shift knobs in the industry for the OEM and aftermarket classic and hot rod cars. Having a special interest in automobiles, this part of the business has kept me in touch with other auto enthusiasts throughout the country.

Page 3 of 3 - Over the years, what skills have you picked up that were essential to having a good career or hobby with classic cars?

In restoring a classic car today, you can find a lot of the parts reproduced. Years ago you would have to hunt for used parts and we did not have the Internet to help in our search. With my background in mechanical engineering, I was able to fabricate some of the parts that were needed.

Father/son projects can be a bonding and/or a learning experience (good and bad). What was this project like?

(Brian) I have had the car for about 24 years now and am so happy that I have still kept it. I will always have the memories (good and bad) that I had with my father doing the project, but as time goes on they are all good in my eyes. I was lucky to have a great dad to do something like this with me. He taught me a lot about cars but spending time with him is something that was always most important to me since I have always looked up to him. However, my father could be a little controlling at times and did not always let me make my own mistakes, but being a father now I can see myself being the same way! I also had great memories of my dad's friends coming over and having chats while we were working on the car.